Beam structure



- E. J.W. RAGSDALE ET AL 2,125,692-

v .Aug. 2, 1938.

p BEAM STRUCTURE Original Filed April 27, 1952 INVENTORS I EARLlWRAesDALE BY ALBERT GDEAN. XQa/ W ATTORNEY.

' Patented Aug. 2, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,125.69; nmn-s'muc'rmr:

Earl J. W. Ragsdale, Norristown, and Albert G. Dean, Narberth, Pa., assignors to Edward G. Budd Manufacturing Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Original application April 2'1, 1932, Serial No.

607,690,. Divided and this application April 13.

1936, Serial No. 14,135

5 Claims.

, cross section. It is more particularly a division rof our co-pending application, Serial Number 607,690 flled April 2'7, 1932 for Rail car body.

One of the principal objects of this invention is to provide an improved beam, girder, column or the like having a decreased quantity and therefore weight of metal, in which the cost of the structure can be greatly reduced, and one in which the manufacture and assembly is especially facilitated as by adapting the respective parts to spot welding.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved sheet metal beam, girder, column or the like which has a maximum strength considering the amount and kind of material employed, and one which is highly effective in operation and readily adaptable for cooperation with appurtenant parts.

A further and more specific object of the invention is to provide an improved box beam consisting of angular cross section chord members and web nfembers which are vertically stiffened longitudinally of the beam, such beam being closed to form a box-like structure and. in which all of the parts are relatively narrow sheet metal strips preferably of a high tensile stainless steel spot welded together.

Further objects and advantages of the inven-' tion will appear from the following description of a preferred form of embodiment thereof taken in connection with the attached drawing, in

which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the beam in accordance with the invention.

a Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a part of the beam shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

The preferred form of embodiment of our invention is generally represented by beam ill of truss type having upper and lower chord members If and [2, intermediate and bodily spaced plate webs l4, cover plates Hi, and longitudinally spaced, vertically extending stiiieners'lB. Each of these parts is conveniently made from sheet metal strips of relatively narrow gauge and formed into the desired cross sections as by well known machinery, the formed pieces being subsequently spot welded for extreme lightness with maximum strength. If desired. stainless alloy steels may are formed from separate strips.

be used and further economies can be obtained in case of fabrication and in eliminating corrosion factors.

In the preferred construction, each chord member H or I2 is preferably of angular cross section having a flange, as Ila for example, running along the length of the web and secured to it as by spot welding.- Another flange Hb extends laterally outward from the edge of the web and gives the structure a lateral stiffness while cooperating with the first flange to make a longitudinally extending angle at the edge of the web. This laterally extending flange lib also serves as a support for the cover plates l6 which form the chord members into closed box sections.

In this construction, each set of longitudinally extending angles is part of the same chord.

member, being joined through internally extending flange lic having longitudinally extending bead l|d, but this is principally because of the ease of forming a channel shaped member with outwardly projecting flanges. From a structural standpoint however, the longitudinally extending angles at the sides of the webs are the principal elements of the chords, the internal flange or channel bottom serving to space the web plates l4, and giving some-additional stiffness.

The truss web plates may be relatively thin gauge stockas compared with the gauge of the chord members H and I2, although considerable variation is possible as all of the beam elements These web plates are divided by diagonal indentations I5 into a plurality of rectangular portions, which portions are prevented from dishpanning through the stiffened indentations.

These rectangular portions are further defined by channel shape reenforcing -vertical truss members l8 extending from chord flange to chord flange and presented outwardly of the beam and welded by their bottoms to the web plates I4. The bottoms of these strut members may be stiffened and rendered more rigid by the offset Hi. It is of course to be understood that the webs might be stifiened by angles or be of other shapes to support transverse loads. The channels iii are welded in place prior to the welding of the webbing to the chord members I I and I2, and accessibility for welding of all parts is attained thereby.

The cover plates 16 are conveniently secured to the outwardly projecting flanges of the chord members as by spot welding, such operation preferably taking place after the web plates are secured to the chord member flanges. These plates l6 may be flat or of centrally depressed section, forming a channel which cooperates with the chord member flanges to maintain the spacing of the webs. If desired, the outer edge of the plates l6 may be formed into flanges at right angles to the main plane of the plates to facilitate attachment of other structural elements.

In this construction, the truss elements can readily be arranged to take the predetermined loads to be applied to the beam in a most eflicient manner and it will be apparent that various elements may be of different thickness without interfering with the ready fabrication of the beam. Furthermore, all of the elements are initially of such open section that the parts may be effectively welded each to the other in a continuously operating welding machine, if so desired. The beam is symmetrical with respect to a vertical longitudinal plane and each chord,

as well as the entire beam, is of box shape having great rigidity and resistance to bending. Such a beam thus has a general application.

While we have described a preferred form of embodiment of the invention, it is obvious that other modifications may be made thereto and it is therefore our aim to cover broadly the disclosure herein and as more particularly set forth in the claims appended hereinafter.

What we claim is:

1. A beam comprising a pair of bodily spaced webs, a one-piece angular chord member having flanges extending along the edges of said webs and being secured to the edge portions of the respective webs, other flanges extending laterally outwardly of said webs, and a bridging chord member of channel section fitted between portions .of the angular chord member and across the edges of the webs and having flanges overlapping flanges of the angular chord member and secured thereto, the channel section of the bridging chord member spacing the webs apart through engagement of the side walls of the channel cross section with the chord member.

2. A beam comprising a pair of spaced sheet metal web members, a chord structure spacing and joining adjacent ends of said web members, said chord structure including substantially right angular side portions each having one flange overlapping and secured to the adjacent web member, one flange extending inwardly and another flange extending laterally outwardly from said first named flange, and a closing strip having shoulders abutting and spacing the angular chord side portions and overlapping said laterally extending flange of the angular side portions and secured thereto.

3. A beam comprising a pair of spaced sheet metal web members, a chord structure spacing and joining adjacent ends of said web members. said chord structure including substantially right angular side portions each having one flange overlapping and secured to the adjacent web member and another flange extending laterally outwardly from said first named flange, and a closing strip having shoulders abutting and spacing the angular chord side portions and overlapping said laterally extending flange of the angular side portions and secured thereto, the flanges of the chord side portions overlapping the web members being transversely interconnected at their inner margins and being integral with respect to each other.

4. A beam comprising a top chord structure, a bottom chord structure, and a web structure, said web structure including spaced metallic sheets, transversely extending longitudinally spaced web reenforcing means having outwardly projecting flange portions, said web structure extending between and being secured to the respective chord structures, one of said chord structures including a side chord member extending along the edge of each web sheet and having a portion extending in the direction of the body of the web sheet and overlapping the same and secured thereto in said region of overlap, an outwardly extending portion beyond the edges of the web sheet and an inwardly extending web stabilizing flange extending from said web overlapping portion, and a through-running bridging chord member secured to the side chord members and spacing the web sides.

5. A closed box section beam of the class described comprising chord members and web members, said web members being spaced by said chord members, said web members being secured adjacent their ends to portions of the respective chord members, said chord members having other portions overhanging said web members and longitudinally extending bridging members secured to the overhanging portions of said chord members in the overhanging region, and having shoulders to additionally aid in spacing said web members and to close the space between said web members, said chord members being of deep, internally closed channel shape, constituting, with the bridging members, closed box section chords.

EARL J. W. RAGSDALE. ALBERT G. DEAN. 

